Furrow opener



Aug. 23, 1932. 5 p, JOHNSON 1,873,128

FURRow OPENER Filed Feb. 17, 195o l2 sheets-Sheet 1 76E] -ZII-Ej 5 [4, l0

-ATTORNEYS Augf 23, 1932.

v B. P. .JOHNSON FURROW OPENER Filed Feb. 17. 19150 2 Sheets-Shea*v INVENTOR ATTO RN EYS Patented Aug. 23, 1932 o,Ass`1eNoR To En. GRENER, or srnINGFIELn j lomo.

BEN P. JOHNSON, or sPnINGFInLp, om

P-MIINT OFlFICEf`fr runnow OPENER j Ap'pieation iea'rebmafy 17,1930. seriarNoAzasez.

This invention relates'to improvements in furrow openers for'seeding machines, it more particularly relating to afurrow opener of the type which employs a flat Coulter disk and a pair-'of mold boards. f

One of thefobjects of the invention is to provide improved means for producing a' wide,'deep, fiat-bottom seed trench of sufficient depth to upturn the under stream'of moist earth, depositing' the seed over the bottom of the furrow in such manner as to `prevent bunching of the plants and covering the seed with al proper thickness of the moist earth taken from the'bottom of the furrow.

Another obj ect of the invention is to provide adjustable means in connection with the mold boards for regulating the height and shape of the ridges made by the furrow opener so as to secure a high peaked ridgeor a low, flat-top ridge depending onfthe character of the ground and speed of the machine.4

A further object of theinvention is the provision of meansfor preventing clogging ofy thel furrow by weeds, stalks and otherftrash';

' a more specific object of the invention in this connection being to so construct thev periphery' of the revolving coulter as to cause it to coact with the forward edges of the mold boards to effect a shearing action to sever vthe weeds,

roots, stalks, or other trash which may be gathered during the progress of the travel of thefurrow opener andtendto clog the same by wedging between Athe disk and' mold o' boards. v

' edge of each of these mold boards is shaped mold boards, thejsection being on the line 4-iofFig. 1. Y v H Fig. 5 isfasection of portions of the'coulter and two. mold boards, `the sectionbeing on the line -5T5 of Fig. 1.-. f Fig. 6'is a bottom plan'of the lfurrow opener. -1 Fig. 7 is a rear elevation of thesame. n Fig 8 is-asection of portions ofthe Coulter and mold boards, thesection being on the line 8--8of Fig. 1. j }j Fig.Y 9 isl a section of a portion ofv the Coulter, the section being on the line 9-#9 of Fig. '1. f e

` Fig. 10 is a side elevationl showing diagrammatically the manner in which the earth of the furrow ismoved. f

Fig. 11 is an enlarged'side elevation Vof a portion vof .the'periphery of the Coulter disk and ,one of the mold boards...` `4 V 65 j Referring tothe drawings, the device .is equipped with the usual drag-bars 1 which are pivotally attached to the usual draft-bar 2 secured to the frame 2 of the'seeding machine.r Attache'dto the rear ends of thedrag-j bars is a ypair of castings 3 which Afit together to form the usual seed booti and which also act to support the mold boards to be` dcscribed. Also 'secured toeach drag-bar forward of the castings Sby'a bolt fis a hanger 6, these hangers having Yclamped therebetween a sleeve 7 by a'bolt 8. Upon thesleeve 7 is ournalledfthe hub of a coulterf9'jwhich is in the form of aflat disk.V

Secured to the'castings 3 is a pair ofmold boards 10 which lie on opposite sides of the coulterV 9; each casting being provided with a pairof ears 11 to which the: mold boards are directly secured by bolts 12. The forward to closely hug the Coulter, the forwardedges being inturned and preferably provided with flatv faces 1 3 as shown inFig. 5 andthe inner face Vof `each mold board `immediately back of the flat face 13 being dished` as indicated 90 sov at 14; to provide clearance to obviate friction. These mold boards diverge outwardly and rearwardly as shown and act to turn the earth proper forming ridges at the side of the trench. l

To provide for covering the seed which is deposited in the trench by moist earth taken from thev bottomf-ofthe furrow ortrenchl equip *each of "theimolld boards with. anV outturned lip along its lower edge as indicated at l5. AAsshowmeach of these lips begin at a pointwhere-thel corresponding mold board passes the mold boards adjacent this point begins to diverge from the Coulter and is gradually Awidened toward its rear end,.the lip being formed on an upward inchnerear l wardly and a downwardinclinefin andeut-k ward lateral direction, so that its cutting edge :willgradually 'divergeffromthe mold board rearwardly'on an upward incline as shownbe'st lin iFigs. ,2 and l Theselips-l act tois'coopfout or: unearththe moist .ground along the lower walls ofthetrenchma'deby theA moldxb'oards proper,ithis moist earth riding over the lips kand falling from thereajr edgesy .thereof onto" the 'seed 'whichvhas been deposited'into the furrow; thefmain body of the earth`whioh hasbeen upturnedby the Ymold boards proper being depositedat-the sides of the'trench so astoiformfridges. 'y

t The.. ridges thus'formed actfas wind breakers or deflectors to protect the seed. When sowingI infine lightsoil subject to slight shifting due? to-winds a low Hat/.top lridgeis desired,rwhile whenV sowing VLin stubble ground a high` ridge .is desirablefor retaining' vthe stubble laswellras. the clods inthe top, ofthe same. j In order to yprovideiforxeither. aflofw or high :ridge, Ihave provided for eachof the mold' .boardsan adjustable wing/16 which vissecuredbya hinge 17 #tothe upperfrear portion lof, the -rmold board and .is `arranged.

to'beheld outwardly inthe wor-king position y shownlby'al brace 18o`ne1en`d of which is pivotallysecured to ,the V wing .and the .other adaptedto .be secured to the'bootibyV a screw orother suitable fastening ldevice which .will

enabley theVv brace tobe detached from the' boot so f aste permit the wings to 'fold inwardly.

f When the wings are in their outward position with aseries of serrations, one vwall 19 eX-A tendingmadially and the other wall 2,0k being atan `angletoy the kradial wall. )The-radial wallg19, which will becalledthe advancing edge of the se-rration considering the direction of rotation of the disk, acts, as the disk is drawn forward to give it a tractive effectV to maintain the rotation of the disk, while the other edge 20 which will be called the trailing edge of the serration co-,acts with the Y edges of the mold boards to shear or cut any weeds, stalks or other trash which may tend to find lodgnient. It should be explained that as the disk rides over a weed or stalk it hasa tendency to :bend theweedorfstalk into K Y a Vf-,form withoutcutting it, the weed or stalk folding back over the mold boards at about the point indicatedat VX' lin Fig. 10. lffsnthe -trailing edge of V`each' serratio'n- @however there v`isla shearing action which results in completely severing the weed or stalk and thus.preventingclogging by an accumulation of such weeds or stalks. n i

The vusual seed tube 21 leadsv toy theboot and also'. connected to the boot isithe-usual;

lifting and vpressure-applying rod"V 22 v which; f

sufiportsV thev usual coil pressure spring(not` shown in the present ease) loy'w'hich yield-l able; pressureis applied tofthehfurrow opener wheninroperation. Y v g Y :Having thus described my invention; I c1-aim= e .a f

Vl. Ina furrow opener, :a Hatcoujlter disk,

andavpair ofmold boards cooperating ,therewithv torfform a-furrow,the forwardedges of said- I-nold boards lying in close proximity to said disk, said-disk having a seriesfo'fserraf tions on Athe t peripheryy thereof; the trailing edge of each. serration` being so .formed as; to

cooperate with the-edges of said: mold boards of ,each serration-being formedY to prov-ideV traction for the disk.

3. In a furrow. opener,-a`iat'coulter disk',

and apair ofmold boardscooperating therei with to form a y'fu`rr ow,. the` forwardedges 'offV saidmold boards-lying in close proximity/ftd Y said disk, said-'diskhaving a-'seri'es ffserra#`V tions in therperiphery thereof, the adva'r'i'c' radial line, the ltrailing edge. of each' serra-f tion being formed vat an angle'tol the advancing edge, atportionof the forward j, part of each mold board overlapping the serratededge o'f said disk to cooperatewith the trailing edges of said serrations toseve'rtra-sh..

4. In"V affurrow opener, a' flat Coulter disk, and apair' of mold boards coopera-ting-theres n l ing edge of ea'chserration being formed ion a 

